Violet's aren't always Blue
by Anne Holly
Summary: Una accidentally stumbles upon Shirley's letters, letters addressed to her. Through Shirley's words, the story travels through the journey of unspoken feelings and romance of the quiet, reliable Shirley Blythe.
1. Chapter 1

A little story off the top of my head. Una and Shirley romance...reviews would be helpful.

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Una was at Ingleside to help Rilla sew that day. Rilla was making her wedding dress, she is to marry Ken in two months. The bride wanted everything to be perfect. Una did not like sewing much, but Rilla was a sweet thing and was worth the effort. She was wholly happy for Rilla. Even though the world may have taken her love, it doesn't mean that it has taken others' love away as well. Una marched up the stairs, feeling like a light breeze whoosh through her hair. She was glad to be out of the manse, it was very hot there. When she reached the top stair, she headed down the brightly sun cased hallway towards Rilla's room, but she was blocked by Shirley's. It was unusual for Shirley not to close his door, he had a habit of locking himself inside. As Una tried to navigate around it, she notice a stack of papers on the desk, directly beside the door on a packaging box. The papers were addressed to her: her name was written boldly on the top sheet. The papers looked although the author had planned to store them away for good. A piece of straw tie was neatly crossed over the thick stack, making it look like a present. Una picked up the papers and took a seat by the window inside Shirley's room: she closed the door. Her heart thumped harder, she knew it was wrong to pry. She was never the noisy type, but the stack of papers looked very tempting, especially when her name was on them. Una knew Shirley wouldn't be back until after lunch, which was two hours from now. Slowly, she undid the tie and started with page one…

**UNA,**

My darling, I vowed that when Walter bid us goodbye, I would never speak of **_this_**, ever. I still remember Uncle Davy telling us that "everyman needed a way of expressing themselves or they would become a madman ". I took Uncle Davy's advice, my darling, that is why I am writing this letter to you: a letter that I have no intention of ever sending. My darling, my first love letter will never be read. So, here is my _"expression". _Here is my confession of my love to you...

_I don't know if you remember that time when we were down in our little **Rainbow Valley**. It was such a blessed day, there was rain and sun. Yes, Rainbow Valley had a rainbow within it. You looked so pleased by the beautiful strips of colour, as if it was a treasure. You were always a very wistful and quiet girl, you never spoke of more than was needed, just like me. That was probably why I fell **head over heals for** you, my darling. Yes, I fell in love with you that day, it **has been six years.** Your blue orb eyes, with a little sparkle, would look over at me just to see if I was interested. You knew how to read me too. You knew I got bored of things that don't exist. I believed in reality, just like my father. **Imagination **was never something I liked, or so I thought. Now, all I have is imagination to keep me company. I would make believe that you were in love with me._

_However, I knew you loved him instead. I could see it on your face, as if written on by paint, "**I love you Walter**" it would say. Yes, I was jealous, but I think I inherited my fathers' trait of brushing things off. I thought Walter would love you back, so your love wouldn't be wasted. My brother, was **oblivious**, he didn't know and never will know. When I heard the news about him being shot, all I could think about was you. I wanted to go to you and comfort you, but I couldn't. I just sat outside of the manse on the tomb of "Ralph Macford" , I could see the light from your room, and I wished that you were okay. I think that night, everyone died a little bit. Yes, that included me. It induced me to go to war: I wanted to **seek revenge**. Though, when I got there, to the front, all the revenge left, only pity stayed with me. Death never scared me, never. I knew that we were born to die, that was why I rarely attended church. I thought that my life was to meet the standards of common sense. I was Susan's little brown boy because I was a working boy. I had goals of improvement and progression. _

_Una, you are a very **sweet little thing**. You never judge, that is why I always get tempted to send you this. Everytime I get enough courage to place** this** at your door, I would think about Walter and your eyes. I don't want to break this friendship because it means so much to me, my darling, it is all that keeps me going after this **"love".** Though, you friendship makes relationship seem more…_

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If this story is liked, I will finish it. If I continued, the whole story would be around 3 chapters.

Please Review...


	2. Chapter 2

I just finished this.

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...t_asteless. Oh, I wish I could whisper into your ear that I love, sweetest darling. Remember when I came back? It was mid summer. I remember stepping off of the train and seeing my family and friends. The whole group of people just celebrating my return. Everyone **hugged me as if I was still the same man** that went, but you didn't do any of those things, my love. I remember you at the far corner of the station platform. I came up to you to say hello. You took my hand and **shook it very firmly** and looked up at me with your bitter blue eyes. Your hand was cold against mine, it reminded me of a china dolls hand, very smooth and white. I was going to say something funny to you, but I couldn't get the words straight. As a result, I punished myself by thinking about badly you must have felt see **me come back instead of Walter**. I released your hand said "thanks". I must have **stalked off** because you called after me. I remember turning around to see you running up after me. Your eyes blazing with sacrifice. You stopped inches before me and said that you could not express how happy you were to see me again. You told me that you were glad that the **war had not taken me away** from you. I smiled because you did express how happy you were, your eyes were reddening and tearing up. Oh, my darling, you looked so much like a little injured creature. That was the first time you kissed me. It was just a** small quick kiss** on the cheek as you would have given to anyone. You know no one ever **kisses me,** even my own mother, that was probably why we never did these gestures, but that day was different. As your eyes redden even more, you took my face into your hands and kissed my right cheek. You squeezed my right hand and turned away. You were gone before I had time to react. I was in heaven. I was in Rainbow Valley with you again. Once again, I punished myself by think about **how angry** you must have been to see me instead of **Walter.** As I sank into that miserable thought, I was taken home by Susan. As I ate dinner that night, I could not help but wonder what…_

Una was sobbing uncontrollably, with her hand cover her red noses and mouth. She could not go on. Oh she could not. She had to leave. With her hands still covering her face, Una ran home, completely forgetting about Rillia and her wedding dress.

When she was safe in her mothers closet with the grey wedding gown handing over her, she started to think. How could she not know. Oh it seems so obvious now! She had always wonder why Shirley would be at their grave yard at night. He always sat on the same tomb, with his long legs dangling off of it, thinking that he was by himself. Oh how obvious it was. The way he would look at her, although there was something that was ready to burst out of him. Una did not know what to think. She did not know if she could love Shirley, the idea was still so new to her. And Walter, oh, oh Walter was still on her mind. It's been a year already, but he still glowed in her heart. She remembered that she vowed that she wouldn't find love ever again, but this love of **Shirley's was different**. How it was different or even why it was different could never be answered thought Una. She cried herself to sleep and woke up in her own bed, with her blanket tucked tightly. Jerry must have carried her. By the time she had finished her chores, she knew she must go back and finish those letters. She must, because they meant the world to Shirley.

She was at Ingleside again, with her **little hands wrenched together**. She did not know if Shirley was out or not. Apparently he was, because when she got upstairs, his door was once again opened. She walked timidly. She saw the letters again, they were exactly where she left them last. This puzzled Una a bit, wouldn't Shirley had cleaned up and notice that his letters were read? Shirley was always a very neat person. Una, however, was too **anxious to notice beyond that**. She was already seated at the window seat and reading.

_... you were feeling when you kissed me. Was it pity, compassion, or love? I could not taste anything Susan made for me because I was sick, **love sick**. Susan could tell something was wrong because she asked me if it was because of a girl I met at the front. She thought I was in love with a nurse. I told her directly that if it was, I would tell her. Una, no one ever suspects me of loving you. Why so? No one! Is it because I do not do as much as regular** suitors**? Remember, I called on you at the Manse, as any suitor would do. I dressed so carefully, hoping I would impress you in some way. I hate to put it this way, but you never treated me like a suitor. I remember you invited me inside and sat me at the table as you went to get the tea from the broiler. You chatted with me although I was just one of the **boys from Ingleside**. Never did you look at me for more than three seconds. You did blush when I mention that you were right in taking domestic science. I was going to say that your dress was very pretty on you, but I did not think that I could say those words without feeling very awkward about them afterwards. It is not like I don't notice these little things about, I probably know every dress that you have worn since Rainbow Valley. I noticed when you started to do your hair up, to show that your of age. **I notice**! **Common sense** had always told me to keep these details to myself. _

_ Una, I do not care if you love me or not, I just want to let you know that I loved you and that I always will. It is very ironic how I wrote " I just want you to know" because you never **will know**. I love you sweetest darling. I hope that if there is a God up there, **he would tell you.** _

_Loving you from a distant,_

_Shirley Blythe_

Una sat there with her lips to the letters, not as she had when **Walter died**, but in a more satifiying way, although something tragic had ended better. Una neatly stacked the papers back into its orginal neat pile. As she shuffled them, a piece of the letters fell off. Una gingerly picked it up. It was written today, with the date still fresh and bold with black ink. Una resumed her seat and read…

_ Yes, I know you were here. Do not feel **ashamed or guilty** because you have read these letters, they were meant for you anyways. I do not know exactly when you will read this little note because I do not know if youwill have the courage to come back and finish these **treacherous letters**. I do not know if I had scared you through these confessions of my **obession to you**, but like I said before, I needed a way of expressing myself. Una, I know you will never be able to love me like you have Walter because I never was the man for you. I understand that. Una do not feel bad for me, I will live on like I have these six years. My darling, I am leaving. I am **heading off** to Toronto to work at the factories building aeroplanes. I've always wanted to do that. No one knows where I am off to, except for you and Susan. I hope that whenever you hear the **six o'clock train** rush by, that you will remember me. Una, I know I should have made a formal good bye, but I do not have the courage to face you after you have read these** confessions**. Now you know exactly how much you mean to me and I hope that you will find it in yourself to forgive me for writing these things.** Good bye, my darling**. _

_Shirley _

Oh Una finally realized that it was Shirley that she had loved all long. It was his quiet composed manner that made him seem less engaging than Walter, but deep down, Shirley was a different man. He was everything that Walter was, poetic and romantic and everything that Walter wanted to be, brave and heroic. Una sat there still as ever, thinking about Shirley leaving when she heard the steamwhistle blow. The six o'clock train was all she could think about. She sprinted...

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Please Review...

One more chapter if anyone wants it.


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